Hasankeyf/General Information

It is not known, when ond by whom Hosonkeyf is estoblished. But the city ond thousonds of caves sur- rounding it, shows thot people were estoblished here before oges. Hasan Keyf is situoted in Mesopotomio region whichis is one of the oldestsettling ploces. The Foct that Tigris River flows possing in it, its geogrophi- col structure eosy to defend ond its thousonds of coverns used os dwelling drew olwoys ottention ond mointoined its strotegic importonce during the oges.

it wos nomed I'Hısn Keyfa thonks to its fortress built out of o single piece of stone. But it is known that other nomes hos been used olso.

HASANKEYF AT ANTIQUE AGES In Periods B.C. whot historicol developments took ploce ot Hasankeyf ond who ruled ore included in the dork poges of history. There is no written source per- toining to this subject. Archeologic works to be made in future wilbring Iight to the issue. But it is possible to soy thot Hosonkeyf wos the most fovourite ploce for the tribes who ruled in Mesopotomio

HASANKEYF AT BYZANTIUM PERlOD First Centuries of A.C., Hosonkeyf possed from Byzontium to Sossonides. it remoined from time to time in the honds of Byzontium ond Sossonids. In the of fourth century A.C., Byzotium made o solid fortress to Hasankeyf and never Iet Sossonids ogain to recop- ture it Dominonce of Byzontium Iosted until the woke of 7. Century when themoslems conquerred here.

HASANKEYF AT ISLAMIC PERlOD Moslems conquerred this ploce in the period of Hz. Omor in yeor 638 A.C.. Fo11owing Kholifs period suc- cessively Omoyyads, Abbosides, Homdonides, Mervonides Artuks Eyyubies and Ottomons ruled it.

Hosonkeyfeorned its historical importonce by dom- inonce of Artuks in A.C. 11 01. After thot doy with its nome of that days HISN KEYFA become one of the most important city of the Middle Ages. Artuks os well as ruling the region Ieft importont works ot Hasankeyf.

Dicle River curls up ond flows from North to the South. Being Iocoted close to it os most of the tradewos done overthe river Hosonkeyf also developped commer- ciolly ond economicoly.

Eyyubies who took the Hasonkeyf from Artuks (A.C. 1232) before dominoting fully the region encountered the Mongolion invosion ond destruction. As mony set- tling places it wos olso turned upside down.

Eyyubies ofter hoving overcome the Mongolian chok storted to estoglish Hosonkeyf storting from the wake of 14. Century .Especiol'y ouring the reign of Eyyubi Sulton Suleymon who hos his signing in mony monuments building activity reoched its peok. Hasankeyf Iived at suchyeors the most brillont peri- od of its history.

At the end Eyyubies who could not resist the power of Ottomons who were vorn down through the pressure of Sofevides ond interior quorrels Ieft this place to Ottomons on yeor 1515.

From this dote on our city iost its historicol importonce ond reoched nowodoys Butinspite 011 negligences noturol destruction this work reoched nowodoys. We should Iike to discuss, Shortly such monuments.